Look

A leisurely Look at Michigan’s stories and traditions from yesterday to yesteryear.

Now, We’re Cooking!

By Kyle Grimm, Archives of Michigan | June 9, 2009

Michigan's Giant Stove (Photo courtesy of Marsha Ericks)

Michigan's Giant Stove (Photo courtesy of Marsha Ericks)

Pictured above is the “World’s Largest Stove” at its current location – the State Fairgrounds in Detroit. George H. Barbour, vice-president of the Michigan Stove Company, conceived the idea for this giant replica stove. He used it to promote the company’s “Garland” model at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. William J. Keep designed the replica, sculpted from oak by either John Tabaczuk or Joachim Jungwirth. The massive oaken replica stove was painted to appear metal, weighed fifteen tons, measured twenty-five feet high, thirty feet long and twenty feet wide.

When this “giant stove” was constructed, Detroit was the center of the American stove industry.   Several large stove companies employed thousands of industrial workers in the city’s diversified manufacturing sector.  The five most prominent firms of Detroit’s “stove era” were the Michigan Stove Company, the Detroit Stove Works, the Peninsular Stove Company, the Art Stove Company, and the Detroit Vapor Stove Company.

Detroit’s stove industry ultimately declined, but the giant Garland stove remained a popular landmark. After the Columbian Exposition, it was placed at Jefferson near Elmwood and Adair Street. (This site is known as “Bloody Run,” as Pontiac’s Native American forces ambushed British soldiers there on July 31st, 1763.) In 1926, the stove was restored and placed just west of the Belle Isle Bridge, close to the headquarters of Detroit-Michigan Stove Company. Detroit-Michigan Stove Company was bought out in 1955 by Welbilt Corp, and from 1957 to 1965, Schaefer Bakeries leased the stove to advertise its bread. The stove was then moved to the Michigan State Fairgrounds in 1965. Due to its deteriorating condition, it was removed from the State Fairgrounds in 1974 and stored at the Fort Wayne Military Museum. Then, in the 1990s, Detroit’s corporate community, labor unions and individual donors sponsored its restoration. The refurbished stove debuted on August 24th, 1998. It remains a vivid reminder of Detroit’s extraordinary history as a manufacturing city.

Michigan Stove Company Postcard, Circa 1925

Michigan Stove Company Postcard, Circa 1925

For more information on this post card, click Michigan Stove Company Post Card on Seeking Michigan. The post card is included in the Seeking Michigan “Main Streets” collection. Click Seeking Michigan – Main Streets to access these digital images.

A Michigan historical marker has been placed at the site of the “giant stove.” Click Michigan Stove Marker to read the text. Click Michigan Historical Markers to learn more about the historical marker program. Laura Rose Ashlee’s book Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan’s Historical Markers is a must-have travel guide for Michigan history buffs. Click Traveling Through Time – Purchasing Information or Traveling Through Time – Library Online Catalog Record.

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Sources for the above article include:

Baluch, Vivian M. and Patricia Zacharias. “Detroit’s Giant Stove and Tire.” The Detroit News, February 26, 1997.

Dunbar, Willis F. and George S. May Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State. Third Revised Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995)

Comments

  1. Cary Grimm

    June 9th, 2009 : 7:04 pm

    That is one big stove:-)

  2. Bob Garrett, Archives of Michigan

    June 10th, 2009 : 9:53 am

    It is indeed a big stove!

    I’ll confess that I didn’t know about this stove. Now, I’m tempted to seek it out!

  3. Brian Wilson

    June 11th, 2009 : 7:00 pm

    I recall going to the Fair in the late 60′s and early 70′s (8 or 10 years old at the time) and seeing the stove. Giant tire, giant stove. Are there other oversize replicas in Detroit or elsewhere in MI? Ann Arbor used to have a Paul Bunyan and a Blue Ox.

    The other thing I remember about the Fair in those years was the big Detroit Model Railroad layout. The club is now located in an old movie theater in Holly.

  4. Dr. Zhivago

    June 12th, 2009 : 6:46 am

    The stove is is deterooroating. Much like Michigan economy. Economy need to get better.

  5. Mike

    June 12th, 2009 : 7:35 pm

    wow! i had no idea! this is something i had never known about! great article!

  6. Babs

    July 6th, 2009 : 11:06 pm

    My father told me, when he was young, there was a body found in the stove. Interesting bit of history. Does anyone have any more information on ths story. It happened more than sixty or seventy years ago when the stove sat near the Belle Isle Bridge.

  7. carol Sheldon

    July 7th, 2009 : 5:07 pm

    I have a grandparent who helped build the big stove.

  8. Jody

    March 10th, 2010 : 1:25 pm

    I have a Circa 1925 Detroit Stove Comapny stove in my bacemement. Can someone please help me in determining the value. It still works, was used for canning. Temprature goes from warm to very hot on dial. Color is cream and tourquoise. Any information would be very helpful. Thank you.

  9. Jim Leja

    March 30th, 2010 : 11:21 am

    I have an old White Star stove, in just about perfect condition. In all mt recerch, I can only find that it was made by Detroit Vapor Stove co. it’s like it never existed.I’m guessing it’s from the mid to late 20″s.has anyone heard of the White Star, could you steer me in the rite direction. It’s called, White Star Heet Master mo.1018L. Thand You. Jim Leja

  10. Cherie’

    May 17th, 2010 : 10:18 pm

    I recall seeing this stove at the State Fair Grounds as a young child in the 60′s. The stove started falling apart and was put into storage for many years. John Engler, then manager of the State Fair Grounds had it taken out of storage, refurbished and it was unveiled during the fair in I think 150th Michigan State Fair in 1998. I have been a State Fair Volunteer since 1995 and seriously am not going to know what to do with myself when August rolls around and there is no fair. Unless a miracle occurs, and the company State Fairs, LLC is hoping to buy the fairgrounds to use for movie shoots and promises to bring our fair back to us again. I am praying he gets to do this. I love the State Fair and think everyone should attend it every year not for the rides, but for the agricultural and animals and the miracle of life tent where if you are lucky,you can see a baby calf born, Oh how I love my fair. God please get it back for us.

  11. Glenn

    September 14th, 2010 : 8:37 pm

    I have A NO_332 Peninsular-A wood or coal parlor stove,does anybody know the year or value. It is round with square bottom,cast iron with tin barrel,lots of nickel plated exterior trim. Front door is see through and top nickel plated part can open with door or remain closed. Top has a nickel plated crown with two S shapes on both sides. On back bottom base it reads Detroit, Chicago, Buffalo. In exellent condition. Stove stands aprox. 5′ 6″ tall. any information would be great… Thank You

  12. Todd

    November 27th, 2010 : 11:04 am

    I have a Home Oak wood stove made by the peninsular stove company (Detroit) model #716 wondering about the year it was made and if I can get any replacement parts. It is in good condition just needs couple of pieces.Any info would be helpful. THANKS

  13. Bob Garrett, Archives of Michigan

    December 1st, 2010 : 3:44 pm

    For those conducting research on antique stoves (including information on specific models), I know of two possible sources:

    1) The University of Michigan’s William L. Clements Library houses the Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive. This includes primary source material, such as company catalogs and brochures. For information, one can e-mail Janice Bluestein Longone at jblong@umich.edu or phone her at (734) 764-2347. Here is a link to the Longone Archive Web site: http://www.clements.umich.edu/culinary/index.html

    2) The Martha W. Griffiths Rare Book, located within the Library of Michigan, also houses some old stove company catalogs. One can phone the Griffiths Rare Book Room by dialing (517) 373-4301. The Griffiths Rare Book Room Web site is http://www.michigan.gov/rarebooks

    I have no information on replacement parts or on the current value of antique stoves. Those seeking such information may wish to contact an antique dealer. I know no such dealers myself and can not recommend anyone (As an archivist, I work with records, rather than artifacts.). I did google the term “antique stove appraisal,” and this retrieved a number of seemingly-relevant sites.

  14. Sam

    December 15th, 2010 : 1:35 am

    I saw the stove in 1950 when I was on vacation with my parents. I had never seen anything like it…..it was huge! I believe at that time it was still located at the plant. I remember we were going to Bel Isle. This was the most facinating thing I had ever seen besides Niagra Falls.

  15. Orville Bumgardner

    January 26th, 2011 : 12:48 am

    Looking for information on a two burner gas stove
    (may have been converted to gas) with the name and #
    Peninsular No 1-21k on the cast iron stove. It has porcelin on/off knobs and some chrome trim.

  16. Orville Bumgardner

    January 26th, 2011 : 12:55 am

    Correction for previous Post: Correct #: No 2-21K

    Looking for information on a two burner gas stove
    (may have been conveted to gas) with the name and # Peninsular No 2-21K on the cast iron stove. It has porcelin on/off knobs and some chrome trim.

  17. Bob Garrett, Archives of Michigan

    January 26th, 2011 : 5:28 pm

    See my post above (It’s dated December 1st, 2010) for a list of resources for researching stoves. The Archives of Michigan has no information on specific stove models.

  18. Dave Ausilio

    March 24th, 2011 : 10:39 pm

    My great grandfather carved the stove, his name was John Tabaczuk. posted 3/24/2011

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